Pole guard



- Sept. 20, 1932.

c. A. GATES Filed Oct. 20. 192 2 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 20, 1932. Q TES 1,878,126

- POLE GUARD Filed 00t- 2Q' 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

\\\\\\\\\\\A\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ h W Patented Sept. 20, 1932 PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE AIGATES, OF WESTBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS POLE GUARD Application filed October 20, 1927. Serial No. 227,503.

My invention aims to provide an improved pole guard and more particularly, though not exclusively, a combination pole guard and working platform adapted to be secured I to a skeletonized high tension pole.

In the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of my 1nvention:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a conventional skeletonizedhigh tension pole, a portion thereof being broken away and the combined working platform and pole guard secured to the pole;

Fig. 2 is a plan section showing one of the upright members of the pole in crosssect-ion, portions of two of the crossbar membersof the pole in plan, and one corner of the combined platform and guard;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing spring clip and hooked wire means used in securing the wire fabric of the guar to an angle iron;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2 showing the tension bar means securing the overlapped strips of wire fabric at the cornersofthe guard frame; and

Fig.5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the tension bar securing two pieces of wire fabric to an angle iron secured to the pole.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the drawings, I have shown a combined pole guard and working platform as it appears when attached to a conventional skeletonized pole used in supporting high tension wires. It should be understood, however, that the guard is equally adapted for other types of pole-like supports where it is desirable to prevent persons climbing the same. Many deaths and Q0 injuries have resulted from persons, especially children, climbing high tension. poles and: like structures. Even though a fence is provided around the pole or along the right of way, in many instances children 4 persist in getting over the fences and climbing the poles. This is especially true when high tension pole lines pass through sparsely settled places where children may play and climb the poles with no one to stop them.

In the present invention, I have provided bar members of the pole.

a pole guard which includes, as shown in Figure 1, a framework of angle irons attached to the upright portions 1 of a pole. For the purposes of the present description only, I have shown angle irons 2 and 3 secured directly to opposite sides of the poles at a substantial distance above the ground, and preferably adjacent to a set of the cross- To these angle irons 2 and 3 I have attached a frame 4 of angle irons spaced a substantial distance (about two feetl from the periphery of thepole.

Wire fabric A is attached to the frame- I work of the guard and also to portions of the frameworkof the pole. The fabric A covers the spaces between the periphery of the pole and the frame 4 and also the space inside of the periphery of the pole, as shown in Figure l. The wire fabric is so arranged 7 that it projects about three inches beyond the outer periphery of the frame at and presents a series of barbs 5.

Thus I hate provided means which prevent access to the pole above the guard, except by the use of a ladder or the like. Anyone attempting to climb the uprights 1 of the pole could only get above the guard by climbing over the outside edge thereof. In prac- F tice this has been found to be impossible, because the edge of the guard extends so far outwardly from the uprights 1 that a person would have to reach outwardly and upwardly to catch hold of the edge of the guard, and in doing so his hand would come in contact with the sharp points of the barbs 5. Even though anyone attempting to climb the pole might grasp the outer edge of the pole guard frame, it would be impossible to climb over the edge of the guard without being caught by the barbs 5.

' The wire fabric A, shown for the purposes of illustration (Fig. 2), is of the so-called chain link type which is very strong and durable and, therefore, provides a platform upon which power company line menmay work during the erection or repairing of wires carried by the pole.

In practice,- I have found that the type of pole guard and platform illustrated in Figure 1 may best be assembled when attaching it to the pole and that in covering the frame several strips of fabric may be used.

I have found that, when wire fabric is used, the easiest and simplest way of asseirbling it to the guard frame and the pole structure illustrated is to provide live strips. Four strips 6, 6, 7 and 7 are secured in position to cover the spaces between the outside periphery of the pole and the frame l. Each of the strips 6, 6, 7 and 7 is provided along one edge with series of barbs 5 for overhanging the edge of the frame 1. The fifth strip 8 is secured in position to cover the space inside of the periphery of the pole, all as shown in Figure 1.

In assembling the strips of wire, the strips 6 and (i are first attached. The means of a tachment comprises the tension bars 9, the length of which is the same as the width of the strips, excepting that much of the wire which overhangs the frame 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

lVhen attaching the strip 6, a tension bar 9 is pushed through the links of the fabric at one end of the strip and then the bar is securely attached to the frame lby means of rivets or bolts. The strip is then laid along one side of the frame a at one side of the pole and a second tension bar 9 (Fig. 1) is placed in the other end of the strip 6 opposite the first mentioned tension bar 9. Then the strip 6 is stretched tightly by an suitable means and, while l eld under tension, the

second tension bar 9 is a 'tached to the frame 4. The strip 6 is next attached in exactly the same manner as the strip 6.

The third strip of fabric 7 is next applied and the ends overlap the ends of the strips 6 and 6 at the corners of the guard frame, as best shown in Fig. 2. This strip 7 is secured to the frame 4 by tension bars 9 in substantially the same manner as described in connection with the attachment of the strip 6. The only difference being that the tension bars 9 hold the ends of the strip 7 to the frame 4, as well as portions of the strips 6 and 6 over which it extends, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The fourth strip of fabric 7 is secured to the guard frame at that side of the pole opposite the strip 7 in exactly the same manner as the strip 7.

lVhen all of these strips are secured to the frame each corner will appear substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

To cover the space inside the uprights 1 of the pole, I secure the fifth piece of wire fabric 8 to the angle irons 2 and 3 by tension bars 10 and 11. These extend the entire distance between the upright portions of the pole 1 and are attached to the angle irons 2 and 3 in substantially the same manner as the previously mentioned bars 9 are secured.

By viewing Figs. 2 and 5, it will be noted that the tension bar 10 passes through the edge links of both the strip 7 and the strip 8. Therefore, this bar 10 holds the edges of both strips securely in place with relation to the angle iron 2. sion bar 11 with regard to the strips 7 and 8. If necessary a bar 11 may be secured between the angle irons 2 and 3, as shown in Figure 1, to prevent them from bending when the wire strip 8 is stretched into place. The inner edge of the strip of fabric 6 over lies the crossbar member 12 of the pole and terminates adjacent the edge of the strip 8, one edge of which also overlies the crossbar 12. Both the above mentioned edges of the strips 6 and 8 are held securely against the crossbar 12 by means of spring-clips 16 (Fig. attached to the downwardly extending flange of the crossbar 12 and the wires 14 which are hooked into engagement with the ch 16 and pass through holes in the upper n-ils thereof, as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the wires 1 1 is wound around a ink of the strip 6 and a link of the strip 8 bind them together, as clearly shown in *ig. 3. Edges of the strip 6 and the strip 8 iso overlap the crossbar member 13 (Figure and are secured thereto in substantially e same manner as shown and described in onnection with the securing of the edges of strips 6 and 8 to the crossbar member 12.

Between the tension bars 9 secured to the frame the strips of wire fabric are held down to the frame 4 by means of springclips 16 and wire securing pieces 1st in substantially the same manner as the fabric is secured to the crossbars 12 and 13 of the pole.

hen the wire fabric A is attached as above described, it provides a secure working platform which is very durable and fits closely to the framework of the guard and the pole.

My invention is simple and inexpensive in construction and is devised particularly with a view to giving the greatest protection against unnecessary accidents occurring to persons who persist in playing around and climbing high tension poles and doing it in a way which will give the greatest protection and be least expensive to power companies.

This invention is applicable to other similar structures for preventing persons climbing to dangerous heights of the structures.

lVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, my invention being best described in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a skeletonized pole having a number of uprights, of a guard for said pole comprising a pair of crossbars secured to opposite sides of the pole, a framework secured to said crossbars and surrounding the pole and extending laterally a substantial distance therefrom, a wire fabric U The same is true of the tencovering the space enclosed by said framework and being free of passageways therethrough to prevent access to the pole above the framework by anyone attempting to climb the same and a series of barbs extending from the wire fabric beyond the framework to prevent climbing over the edge of the guard.

2. A pole guard including a framework adapted to be secured to a pole, strips of wire fabric secured to said frame at each side thereof, said strips being overlapped at the corners of the frame, a series of barbs resented by each strip of fabric, tension ars secured at the ends of strips and attached to the frame to hold the wire fabric under uniform tension and a number of fastenin elements securing the barbed edges of the abric to the frame.

3. A pole guard includin aframework adapted to be secured to a pofe, a wire fabric attached in separate pieces to said frame, tension bars securing said pieces to said frame in such manner as to maintain the wire under tension to support the weight of a person and a number of fastening elements securing the wire fabric to the frame along the edges where tensionbars are not used.

4. The combination with a skeletonized ole having a number of uprights, of a guard.

CLARENCE A. GATES. 

